The Houthis, along with "Yemeni security forces still loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh" (there's a partnership that's built to last), are closing in on Aden and President Hadi is nowhere to be found. The Houthis have re-captured Defense Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi, who had only just busted himself out of confinement in Sanaa. Meanwhile, the … Continue reading Scenes from the brink of a civil war

I used to teach fourth-year undergraduates in the fine art of conducting research into the ins and outs of the Middle East and the ins and outs of then writing a thesis based on that research. I had 60 minutes a week (maybe 90 if I was feeling cruel) for all of a single quarter … Continue reading Not as I do

It's always fun to watch the theater that unfolds whenever a country is caught spying on one of its allies. The country that gets caught has to insist that it would never, even though of course it did, while the country that's being spied on has to feign outrage and pretend that it's not doing … Continue reading The least scandalous scandal ever

The situation in Yemen has been teetering on the brink of civil war for a while now, and it's still there today, we're being told. The truth is, though, that the events of this past weekend looked a heck of a lot more like "actual civil war" than "the brink of a civil war." On … Continue reading Yemen isn’t on the brink anymore — it’s gone over the edge

Here at ATTWIW, we're all about bringing people together, healing the divides that, um, divide us, and finding common ground so that we can move forward as one nation. In that spirit, I propose the following sensible compromise: you can put the Confederate flag on your license plate if you want, and in return you … Continue reading A sensible compromise

In an interesting Foreign Policy article on the role that history textbooks can play in shaping or even causing international disputes, we find this, from our best close ally, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Did Saudi textbooks cause 9/11? Probably not. But given that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the attacks of Sept. 11, … Continue reading Another example of why it’s important to teach history properly

Some lucky New Hampshire fourth graders will never forget their first taste of big-time politics: In the spirit of learning by doing, students drafted a bill to learn the process of how a bill becomes law. They proposed House Bill 373, an act establishing the Red Tail Hawk as the New Hampshire State Raptor. Even … Continue reading What a beautiful lesson in civics

A message posted to a website linked to ISIS today included a claim of responsibility for yesterday's devastating attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis, which killed 23 people. So far nine people have been arrested over the attack and the Tunisian army has been deployed in major cities to try to prevent any further … Continue reading ISIS expanding into Africa; looking for a new safe haven?

During Andrea Mitchell's interview with Benjamin Netanyahu today, this exchange occurred: MITCHELL:  But you were reelected on a mandate, certainly Israeli voters, your supporters, believe you were reelected on a mandate against a two-state solution.  That is the way the White House is interpreting.  The White House says this is divisive, and it's so divisive … Continue reading Bibi’s phony fear of ISIS

Peter Beinart: On Wednesday, I asked a senior Obama administration official whether there was anything Benjamin Netanyahu could do to repair the damage done by his comments late in his reelection campaign. The official’s answer: “You can’t unring the bell.” Other officials, off the record, put it far, far more harshly than that. You may … Continue reading Dammit, why won’t this bell stop ringing?